The present invention relates to child carriers, and particularly to formed or molded child carriers having seats for children. More particularly, the present invention relates to formed or molded child carriers that provide entertainment for children.
Child carriers include strollers, shopping carts, attachments to shopping carts, and molded carts commonly used at super markets, home center stores, retail stores, theme parks and zoos. Each year thousands of children are injured in shopping cart, as well as other retail stroller, accidents. Generally, the child becomes bored with the shopping experience and tries to get out of the child carrier. A fall out of a carrier can cause severe injury. In addition, injuries occur when the child pinches his or her fingers in the moving mechanism of a typical seat or when the child reaches out of the carrier to grab something.
Many child carriers are simply wire or plastic mesh constructions that function as containers to carry consumer goods through a store and secondarily provide a seat for a child. Many of these carriers provide seats that are both uncomfortable and easy to escape. If a child becomes bored or uncomfortable, the chances for injury increase. In addition, many of the seats fold or utilize moving pieces that can easily pinch a small child's fingers.
Many child carriers also employ a seat that attaches to a pre-existing cart making the cart/carrier combination larger and heavier than typical child carriers, thus requiring more effort to push and maneuver the cart/carrier combination. Some of these carriers provide rearward looking seats that in many cases make it difficult for the child to observe where the carrier is going.
Other child carriers provide a more comfortable seat but still provide nothing to entertain the child. The child therefore has the tendency to become restless, potentially injuring himself or herself or misbehaving, making shopping more difficult. For example, child carriers used in commercial settings such as shopping malls and in entertainment settings such as zoos and theme parks are often shaped to peak the child's interest but once inside the child quickly becomes bored making the shopping or entertainment experience less enjoyable for the adult.
It is therefore desirable to provide a child carrier that provides an inviting place for a child to sit and also provides some form of entertainment to occupy the child's attention.
Thus, according to the present invention a child carrier provides a seat portion including a seat, a backrest, and a floor. The child carrier further includes a substantially rigid body at least partially surrounding and supporting the seat portion. The rigid body also includes substantially solid side surfaces and at least partially defines a panel. In addition, the child carrier provides a plurality of wheels supporting the body, and an electronic device supported by the body.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a child carrier provides a substantially rigid basket including a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, and a base. The child carrier further includes a body defining a basket portion, a seat portion, and a push portion, the basket disposed substantially within the basket portion. In addition, the child carrier provides a plurality of wheels supporting the body and the basket, and an electronic device coupled to the body.
In preferred embodiments, the child carrier includes one or more headphone jacks that receive a signal from the electronic device. In addition, the electronic device is radio, a video display device, a computer, or video game player, or the like. Further, the electronic device in many preferred embodiments is interactive allowing the child to play and interact with the device.
In other preferred embodiments, the seat portion is disposed between the basket portion and the push portion such that the seat is above the base of the basket. In addition, in preferred embodiments, a first side wall, a second side wall, a rear wall, the panel and the rear wall of the basket substantially surround the seat and the floor.
Additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.